BHOG quality certificates for temple prasadam

“We have informed temples under the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments department to obtain the hygiene certificate for temple prasadam. Every temple should have the infrastructure to maintain high levels of hygiene on its premises, and other places where prasadam is prepared and distributed. They should also make sure that no expired ingredients are used to prepare prasadam in the temples,” said Dr A Ramakrishnan, designated officer, Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration Department.

The department has also trained temple workers, staff and contractors in procedures for getting food safety licence. “The BHOG quality certificate will be issued to all places of worship including temples, gurudwaras, and mosque in the state. Those temples in the state that fulfils the criteria set by the department can apply for the quality certificate. If any temple fails to maintain the hygiene level on its premises, the certificate will not be issued,” said Ramakrishnan.

The 45 temples in Tamil Nadu which will be getting the certificate initially include Sri Ranganatha Swamy Temple in Srirangam, Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai, Arunachaleswarar Temple in Thiruvannamalai, Subramanya Swamy Temple in Thiruttani and Varadharaja Perumal Temple in Poonamallee.